SCHRODINGER’S SENATE: EXPERIMENTS IN CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM

HON. PAULA SIMONS, SENATOR

From the moment the Senate of Canada was created, 151 years ago, Canadians have been arguing over its responsibilities, its independence, and its efficacy. In 2016, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made dramatic, fundamental changes to the way the Senate itself operates – without a constitutional amendment. Three years later, what have the results of that experiment been? And what will the coming election mean for the future of the Senate, and for its constitutional role?

The McDonald Lecture is presented by the Centre for Constitutional Studies through an endowment to the Faculty of Law in Memory of Justice David C. McDonald.